10 Hot Jobs and Cool People @Starbucks #YearInReview

Slurping, which we’ve all been told is poor etiquette, is essential for a coffee taster – or cupper as they’re called in the industry. A quick slurp spreads coffee to taste receptors in all parts of the mouth and helps an expert identify specific aspects of a coffee’s texture, flavor, acidity and sweetness. When containers of coffee beans arrive at domestic ports for shipping to Starbucks roasting plants, a sample is sent to the company’s headquarters in Seattle. Green coffee specialists need to approve the samples before a coffee can be blended or roasted. That involves tasting test batches made from every newly arrived shipment of beans.